There have been many types and kinds of compiling systems used to produce recording media, such as videotape recordings. For example, reference may be made to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,941,040; 4,924,303; 4,918,516; 4,905,094; 4,863,384; 4,775,935; 4,745,549; 4,725,977; and 4,602,279.
As disclosed in the foregoing mentioned patents, various compiling systems include data base memory units with prerecorded segments and segment processors for selecting and directing individual ones of the pre-recorded segments for recording on a desired recording media such as a video recording tape via a videocassette recorder. In this manner, customer selected segments of prerecorded materials, such as a plurality of music videos, may be retrieved from the data base memory units and directed to a designated videocassette recorder for recording the selected segments on the desired recording media.
While such compiling systems may have been satisfactory for some applications, it would be highly desirable to have a new and improved compiling system which is highly efficient and able to increase productivity significantly so that a high volume of individually customized recording media can be produced. Increasing volume production has been expensive when using previously known systems. In this regard, it has been necessary to increase the number of system components, such as videodisc players, graphic generators, and videocassette recorders substantially to increase volume production. Thus, even though high volume production could be achieved, such high volume production could not be accomplished without a significant increase in capital cost for the necessary additional components.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a new and improved compiling system, which can produce a high volume of individually customized recording media in a highly efficient manner and without requiring mass duplication of each system component.